Antiglare device for headlights



Nov, 4; 1924!? A. MGQRE Filed Sept. 20

3 Sheets-Shea l Ewmzwhz mums A. MOORE ANTIGLA'RE DEVICE FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Sept. 20 T922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. MQGRE Nov 4 219% ANTIGLARE DEVICE FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Sept. 20, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 4, i924.

,, t r s ARLINGTON MOORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGHOR T MOORE ZNVENTIGNS 3633- IORATION, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION 6F MASSACHU- sn rrs.

ANTIGLARE DEVICE FOR HEADLIGHTS.

Application filed September 20, 1922. Serial 110. 589,465.

To. all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARLINGTON Moons,

a citizen of. the 'United States, and a resi-- dent of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have 1nvented a new and useful Improvement in Anti lare Devices for Headlights, of which the ollowing is a specification.

The resent invention has for its object to provide an eficient glare preventing degrioe for headlights of automobiles and the ike.

Accordin to the present invention glare -is prevente by interposing an opaque r-.--

fleeting shield in-the path of the direct rays of the lamp, whereby the glare is prevented without substantial diminution of the light- .in power of the headlight.

%ieans are referably provided for moving the shield to glare preventing position at will, and for causing" it to move out of such position when not required. Other objects of the invention will appear in connectidn with the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated embodiments of my invention, but same are for illustration only and for affording an understanding of the invention and not for limitation of the invention. Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a headlight embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2, Fig, 1. Fig. 3 is a back viewwith the outer casing re moved. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional fragmentary View of a modification. Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram. Figs. 6 and 7 are respec tively vertical and horizontal cross-sectional views of a shield formed as an attachment to be connected at and supported from the lighting bulb socket. Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Figs. 6 and 7 of a modified form in which the shield is provided with lateral reflecting wings. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an attaching member foruse: with the devices of Figs. 6-9, and Fig. '11 is a side view of the attaching means of Figs. 6-9 secured in place upon the neck of an electric lamp.

Reference character 10 indicates the headlight casing or shell having the front glass 11, rear cover 12, reflector 13 and lamp 14.

The glare prevention shield 15 is preferably of metal, silvered on the side next to the lamp 14 to act as a reflector of light and white frosted on its opposite side. The shield shown in Figs]. and 2 is of ti-form, with the concave side toward the lamp 1 1, and the convex side facing forwardly toward the glass 11, and the two leaves 15 and 15 are preferably joined in the rounded bead 15, so that the shield can be bent somewhat for fitting it to various lamps and reflectors without danger of breaking.

Means are preferably provided for turna ing the shield into its various adjusted po sitions, and in the form shown, shield 15 is secured on shaft 16 extending transversely of casing 10 in the lower part thereof and extending for a small part of its length through slot 17 in reflector 13 to permit shield 15 to be secured thereto.

Means are provided for operating shaft 16 to turn the shield 15 into its various adjusted positions,-and in the form shown a magnet, solenoid or other device com prising coil 18 is provided for converting electrical energy to mechanical movement, as by causing longitudinal movement of core 19. Core 191s provided with a pin 20 which enters slot 21 in the rearward er. tension 22 of a rocking lever 23,.and rocking lever 23 is connected by the connecting rod Q l to a crank arm 25 on the shaft 16.

It will be seen that downward 'inovement of the core 19 results in turning shield 15 to-the position in front of lamp 1 1, shown in'cross-hatched full lines in Fig. i, being arrested in this position by stop 26 secured to shaft 16 coming into contact with stop piece 27. -Gravity may be relied upon for securing thereturn movement of shield 15, or a spring, such as coil spring 27" on shaft 16, may be provided for this purpose.

Upon upward movement of the core 19, the shield 15 is depressed to substantially the dotted line ositi'on shown in Fig. 1, the stop 28 coming into contact with the bracket 29 and serving to stop the shield in such position.

It will be'seen that the construction of the apparatus is very simple, all that is reuired to convert the ordinary type of headlight into a headlight equipped with glare revention device according to the resent invention being to secure the brae et 29 with its connected parts to the underside of the reflector 13 and to out a small slot 1i through the reflector for the accommodaree tion of shaft 16 and for securing the shield into place.

The device may be controlled from any desired. position. as for instance by pushbutton switch on the steering wheel 31, and the additional wiring required for electrically operating .the device may be introduced into the radiator shell along with the lamp cables through the single inlet connection 32.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that when the glare preventing shield is in its upper position, the shield is interposed in the path of the. direct rays of the lamp, preventing such direct rays from blinding the eyes of the operator of an oncoming automobile, and that the lighting effect of such rays is not lost, but that the light is refiected and deflected principally toward the top of the headlight so that while the objectionable etlects of a. glare of direct light waves is prevented, the lighting etl'ect is not diminished to any substantial extent, but that objects within the range, of the lamp are lighted up to substantially the same extent as it shield 15 were not in place.

The prevention of glare by interposing i the shield 15 in the path of the direct rays oflamp 14 is performed by the push-button 30 as readily, if not more readily, than in the casejof switching from the. bright headlight lamps to the so-called dimmer head-- light lamps, as has recently become the practice to some extent in order to prevent glare upon the occasion of automobiles meeting one. another. With the present invention,

while glare is prevented, the lighting power of the lamps is not substantially diminished, whereas, with the substitution of the dimmer lamps for the bright. lamps, practically all lighting poweris lost andthe very small electric lamps used are of use only to indicate the position of the car carrying the same and are practically useless l'or lighting up the car ahead or the rozulway. lt of course. well recognized that notwithstanding numerous attem 'its to prevent glare by specially l'ormed headlight glasses. the desired results cannot be secured in this way, since if the ell'ect of preventing glare is successfully attained, the light is cut down unduly, and it the light is not so cut. down, the glare is not eliminated.

In Fig 4 l have shown the glare prevention shield here designated by the reference number 15' as being rigidly securct'l to the reflector 13st) as to relnain pern'ianently in position to shut. oil the direct rays of the light and prevent glare.

In the form shown in Figs. (i1l the shield and its support are formed as an attachment adapted for insertion in headlights already gun the market or in place on imtomobiles and the like. Various modes of attachment may be resorted to, but I prefer to make use of a split ring 34 adapted to be clamped upon the neck portion 35 of an electric lamp 36, as by means of the screw 37. The clamp 34 has the wire arms 38 screwed thereto, and the screen 39 is attached to the arms 38 in any suitable way, as by being bolted or soldered thereon.

The screen 39 is preferably of metal, silvered on the side next to the lamp 256 to act as a reflector of light, and white frosted on its opposite side. The shield shown -in Figs. 6 and 7 is of- V-form, with the con cave side toward the lamp 36, and the convex side facing forwardly toward the glass of the headlight. The two leaves 59 and 39* are preferably joined in the fiat head 39, which has two holes drilled therein for I the reception of the threaded portions 38 of wire arms 38, and is held in place on the wire arms 38 by nuts 40, 41 screwed there.- on. A strip of rubber channel 42 is titted on the lower edge of screen 3!) to prevent scratching the reflector surface 43.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show a modified form of screen, which is lVl-shaped. The light waves leaving the electric lamp strike the leaves 43, 44, are deflected to the reflector and then on to wings 45, 46, again striking the reflector, at least in part, and issue forth from the headlight in a difl'used state, thereby eliminating the glare and giving good lighting efi'ect-on the road and objects close to the front of the car. The zig-zag travel of the light waves in the manner described above, from the screen to the reficctor,-does not detract substantiallyfrom their lighting value, but eliminates the glare caused by direct rays. The wings as 45, 46 may, of course, be made use of with the screen shown in Figs. l-5, il' desired.

\Vith headlights provided with my invention, it becomes possible for one. to look directly at the headlights, even when relatively close thereto, without being dazzled by the glare. The headlight, appears as practically uniformly lighted throughout, except that there is, of course, some ext'ra concentration of light in the neighborhood of the upper portion thereof.

Changes within the scope of my claims may be resorted to within my invention.

I claim:

1. In a headlight co'mjn'ising a lamp and a reflector, a reflecting shield comprising a pair of substantially plane reflecting surfaces arranged at an angle to one another and arranged to extend upwardly below and in front of the lamp at an oblique angle, so' as to reflect light rays striking the sides thereof next to the lamp laterally upward to the two sides of the reflector.

2. In a headlight comprising a lamp and a reflector, a reflecting shield of substanall tialiy Viorm arranged w-extend upwardly lamp at an Oblique angle, the axis of the below and in front 6f the lamp at 211 0b- V being in a vertical plane passing through Iique angle. the lamp, 10

3. In a headlight comprising a 1mm and in testimony whereof, I have signed my 5 e refieswr, e refiecsing shield of su stanname hereto.

tielly -f0rm arranged to animal upwardly and forwardly below and in from of the ARLINGTON MOORE. 

